Taylor Griffin's time in Phoenix proved to be short-lived. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

In a shocking unexpected totally predictable personnel move Monday, the Phoenix Suns waived little-used reserve forward Taylor Griffin.

In what may have been among the shortest press releases in team history (all of two sentences), the Suns announced the move and provided Griffin’s rookie season stats:

Griffin appeared in just eight games for the Suns as a rookie in 2009-10, averaging 1.3 points in 4.0 minutes.

Not much time on the hardwood for the University of Oklahoma product, but still more experience and statistical accomplishment than his younger brother Blake, who was taken No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA Draft and proceeded to miss the entire 2009-10 season with a knee injury.

This moves comes as no surprise, as Griffin hasn’t shown much growth in his time with the Suns, nor has he displayed that he brings any value to the team outside of practice. As expected entering Summer League play, Griffin was essentially playing for his roster spot and didn’t do enough to keep it. In five games, Griffin averaged 3.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.6 minutes per game.

Griffin was originally drafted by the Suns 48th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft. His exit could open up a roster spot for an undrafted Summer League player.

The Summer Suns trailed by just one entering the fourth, but the Warriors pulled away while Phoenix scored just 13 in the deciding period.

Zabian Dowdell was the Suns’ star, contributing 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting and nobody else played particularly great.

Earl Clark hit just 5-of-16 shots to get his 14 points, but he added 10 boards and three assists for his first double-double of the summer. Gani Lawal chipped in with 14 on 6-for-15, and Taylor Griffin continued his atrocious shooting summer with five points on 2-for-6 marksmanship, but he did record a stellar +16 in 14 minutes.

On the other end of the +/- minus spectrum, Scottie Reynolds was -26 in 26 minutes, going for seven points on 3-for-8 shooting. It was his first poor performance after a pair of really nice outings (16 points in one game, nine assists in the other), and for that he earned an invitation to training camp, according to The Arizona Republic.

Reynolds deserves that shot, and while he could still choose to go to training camp somewhere else, I bet he will go with Phoenix considering the conversation I had on Monday with him about how similar the Suns are to Villanova and how well he feels his skills fit this system. I would like to see Reynolds make the roster.

That’s especially true considering Griffin looked nothing like an NBA player in Vegas. He hit just 7-of-30 shots (23.3 percent) and 2-of-12 from distance (16.7 percent). Griffin’s a good athlete, but he just doesn’t have the perimeter game necessary to be an NBA player.

I will get to Earl Clark in a full-length feature later today, but in short he did not impress this summer. Clark was the best player on this team, yet he did nothing to show he deserves to be part of the Phoenix Suns’ rotation in 2010-11.

Saving the best for last, Gani Lawal enjoyed a real productive summer. He was consistent throughout (scoring between 14-18 every game) and overall averaged 15.4 and 7.4 on almost 50 percent shooting. I’m not sure if he will earn rotation minutes this season, but he’s the kind of guy you could throw out for a few minutes at a time to do all the dirty work and make all the hustle plays. If he continues to develop his post game, the Suns might have a second-round find on their hands.

The Summer Suns lacked the high end talent of some of the other entries in Vegas, so their 1-4 record isn’t a surprise. Overall the play of Lawal and Reynolds should be seen as a positive development and the play of Clark and Griffin as a disappointment.

I skipped town Tuesday night (man, what a trip) so this analysis will be a little less comprehensive than the past few were.

In this one the Suns dropped a 93-82 decision to Cleveland behind a monster 34 and nine game from J.J. Hickson (no, this does not change my mind about February’s Amare to Cleveland possibilities).

Seth Pollack over at Bright Side writes that Earl Clark took a step back after playing his first decent game in Monday’s win over D-League Select. Clark went for 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting to go with just two boards, no assists and three turnovers. Those aren’t the kind of summer stats that will convince anybody he deserves a rotation spot, especially after the recent moves.

Earl’s lackluster play is undoubtedly the biggest disappointment of the summer. I expected him to be a different player during his sophomore season and to show signs of that this summer. By and large, he has looked like the same old Earl Clark during summer league.

However, he has not disappointed as much as Taylor Griffin, who is now 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) after another miserable game in which he scored two points on 1-for-4 shooting. He has looked nothing like an NBA player all week.

Scottie Reynolds sparked the Suns with eight points and nine assists. I chatted with head coach Alvin Gentry for a few minutes on Tuesday and he came away impressed with Reynolds’ summer debut the day before. He’s done enough in college to at least earn a camp invite for a team he feels fits his skills perfectly, and he could be an interesting prospect to keep in the Taylor Griffin role. He’s an electric enough player that he could eventually develop in the NBA.

Gani Lawal continued his solid summer with 16 points and eight boards. He’s come as advertised, and on a Suns team thin on legitimate post players, he certainly deserves a spot on this squad. I doubt he cracks the rotation, but he could in a few years with seasoning and he could help the Suns in spurts against big, physical teams.

Finally, Matt Janning impressed once again with 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting in 35 minutes of action. Majerle barely ever took him out because he’s such a heady player, always making the right decision, and in this game his shot clearly was on. I’m not sure if Janning has an NBA future because of what he lacks in the athleticism department, but he has the looks of a lucrative career in Europe in his future if nothing else.

Up next

The Suns finish up their summer league slate with a 3 p.m. game against Golden State that will be televised on NBA TV.

LAS VEGAS — Scottie Reynolds wasn’t even expected to play this week after suffering a strained Achilles working out at Villanova last week, his chance at making a summer league impression wasting away by the day.

But after feeling good at Sunday’s practice and Monday morning he came in and told Summer Suns coach Dan Majerle he could suit up, and Reynolds came off the bench to provide the kind of energy one would expect from a first-team All-American at summer league during Phoenix’s 96-88 victory over D-League Select.

“He brought a lot of spark pushing the ball, competitive, it was good to see,” said Summer Suns head coach Dan Majerle. “I’m glad he could play. He’s been wanting to play all week, but it’s kind of one of those things where you don’t want to push him and get him hurt, but I’m glad he was able to go out there and play, and hopefully he can bounce back and play next game, too.”

Reynolds felt good after the game but said with this kind of injury it’s more the next day that he’s most concerned about.

In his court time the Villanova star displayed a nice shooting touch, scoring 16 points on 4-for-6 marksmanship and hitting both threes he attempted. His strong play could be seen in the fact that Phoenix was +10 in his 19 minutes on the floor.

“Just being myself, just go out there and play the game of basketball the way I know how to,” Reynolds said. “With the Suns’ organization it’s just like Villanova, the same principles, the same kind of offense and it’s a little bit heart-warming that I’ve been in this system for four years and be able to be successful.

“I know it was a great opportunity here, and I’m happy I was able to get out there tonight.”

Reynolds was constantly talking and pumping up his teammates on the floor, exuding the leadership we saw from him in college. Although Majerle teased him later about how many questions he asked his coach on the court, he applauded the energy he brought to the floor.

As for if he has a shot at being an NBA player?

“He’s got to improve his shot, but a guy like that who can make plays for other people, you surround him with good players and he can be a good asset for anybody’s team,” Majerle said.

Clark plays better

The biggest story line of the Summer Suns as it pertains to the varsity Suns’ roster undoubtedly is Earl Clark. He entered the summer as the only player expected to be counted on for real minutes, although that could change with the additions of Hedo Turkoglu and Josh Childress.

Clark certainly won’t have anything handed to him, especially now, but today was a step in the right direction.

He played more in control and let the game come to him instead of forcing the issue with contested jumper after contested jumper, and he finished with a stat line of 18 points, five boards and four assists but six turnovers. He shot 6-for-12 after combining to go 9-for-28 in the first two games.

“Earl has struggled a little bit, but he got his legs under him a little bit more and started playing his kind of game,” Majerle said. “I think he was pushing the first couple games, more looking for his shot and not trying to make anybody better. Today I think he played more within himself and played a lot better.”

Lawal’s ‘triple-double’

Suns rookie forward Gani Lawal isn’t exactly the kind of player you ever expect to throw up a triple-double, but he did exactly that on Monday …. kind of.

Lawal filled up the box score with 15 points, 11 boards and … 10 fouls.

“Gani’s in there. Some of those calls were tough,” Majerle said. “He’s trying to play so hard, and he’s very physical. I don’t know how many illegal screens he got, but that’s OK. It means he’s out there trying to do the right thing, and he’s still out there trying to learn the system and how to play, but I’m impressed with the way he wants to learn and what he does out there.”

Lawal has looked like a guy who could develop into a nice contributor with his physicality and willingness to do the dirty work even if he has been a touch too foul-prone.

Rockets forward Jordan Hill came away impressed with Lawal after banging with him during Friday’s summer league opener.

“Gani, he’s going to be a good player,” Hill said. “He’s very aggressive. He’s got a high motor. He’s the kind of guy who will keep fighting.”

Janning impresses

Matt Janning may not have the physical tools to ever be an NBA player, but he’s the kind of heady performer any coach would enjoy having on his team.

After scoring 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting, Majerle was one such coach.

“I love Matt, I think he’s great,” Thunder Dan said. “Can really shoot it, he’s athletic. The thing I like about him more than anything is he knows how to play. He’s got a big basketball IQ, understands what we’re looking for, and he’s a hell of a player.

“What he lacks physically as far as the strength he can make up for. He knows how to play, that makes a big difference.”

Griffin depresses again

Taylor Griffin has not looked like an NBA player through three games of summer league. He continued his poor offensive play on Monday by scoring two points on 1-for-6 shooting, including three more missed long balls.

He’s now 4-for-20 (20 percent) from the floor and has hit 2-of-10 long balls (20 percent as well). That kind of shooting’s not going to get it done for a Suns wing.

And 1

Majerle on the Suns playing better today: “I think everybody did a better job. We had two practices, and this is all kind of new stuff for these guys. I think overall everyone was more comfortable. Earl was better, Gani was running the floor well. I think it was just a matter of guys getting to know each other a little better.” … I played in a TrueHoop/SBNation basketball game on Saturday morning. Put up a cool 0-for-10 line before I went Nashian in the final minutes with a big three and two clutch free throws on a drive off a teammate’s steal to turn a four-point deficit into a one-point lead in our win. Here’s the box. At least I put up an all-around line, right? … Suns head coach Alvin Gentry joked with Majerle about getting off the schneid by winning his first summer game this season. … Former assistant GM David Griffin attended the game and chatted with former Suns colleagues after the contest.

Up next

The Suns are off on Tuesday and then will return to the court Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. MST against Cleveland.

In all likelihood the only Phoenix Sun in Vegas who will make any kind of impact this season is Earl Clark, so that’s where I’ll start with my thoughts on the Suns’ 100-82 loss to the Houston Rockets, a game the Suns trailed by three after three before falling apart in the fourth.

Clark needed 14 shots to score his 14 points (shooting 4-for-14) and looked like the same player we saw in limited action last season. By that I mean he’s still never met a shot he doesn’t like and he still doesn’t hit jumpers with a hand in his face at a very high rate.

Yes, it’s only one game of summer league — and Goran Dragic rebounded quite nicely in his sophomore campaign from a poor first game of summer league — but it still would have been nice to see Clark attack the basket with authority instead of facing guys up and clanking another pull-up jumper after pull-up jumper.

“This was his first game, he’ll get better as the week goes along,” said Summer Suns coach Dan Majerle.

As for what he hopes to accomplish in summer league, Clark said, “Definitely shooting the ball better, and that’s about it.”

I would add working on a post game that he also admitted could use work, driving more and taking open jumpers instead of contested J’s off a one-on-one move.

Clark also returned to the court noticeably stronger in his upper body, saying he’s up to 236 or 238 pounds (he was listed at 225 last season).

“They (Suns strength staff) say I don’t lift enough, but I’ve had people say it looks like I do,” Clark said.

Lawal’s debut

Suns second-round pick Gani Lawal got his first taste of pro ball, going for 14 points and five boards. He ran the floor well (finishing in the open court a few times) and he blocked a couple shots.

However, he did not exactly lock down Rockets center Jordan Hill, who scored with ease a handful of times in one-on-one situations against Lawal.

“It was cool,” Lawal said. “I went out here and made some good plays, made some bad plays.”

He added that he needs to work on his free throws (6-for-11 from the line) but showed the hustle that’s supposed to be his calling card. It may be tough to see Lawal’s true value in summer league since these helter-skelter games don’t exactly showcase big guys who do the little things.

Of his game Lawal said, “I just try to play hard, rebound, just do the dirty work that nobody wants to do.”

And he’s got one fan with the team already. When asked who impressed him most today, Clark said, “Oh, Gani. He runs the floor excellent, he plays hard, rebounds, and he’s just a hard-nosed kid.”

Griffin’s game

He didn’t exactly distinguish himself as an NBA player with a 2-for-8 shooting performance, but Taylor Griffin looked more like an NBA wing than ever before.

He pulled down a rebound and drove coast to coast on one play, looked comfortable getting shots on the perimeter and played solid perimeter defense (the one thing we know he has in him). He was also a leader on the floor, urging the Suns to communicate on defense quite often.

There may be a better fit for the Suns’ 13th man spot, but if Taylor Griffin can add a jump shot the Suns could do worse than him.

Dowdell impresses

After a great summer with the Suns last season, Zabian Dowdell is at it again. Dowdell led the Suns with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting (he was the only starter to shoot better than 50 percent for a Suns team that nailed just 40 percent of its shots), and he added four assists.

If Dowdell keeps playing like this, he deserves consideration for a roster spot.

Reynolds, Collins out

Villanova All-American Scottie Reynolds missed the game due to a problem with his Achilles. Majerle said he’s not sure if Reynolds will be able to play at all during summer league.

Second-round pick Dwayne Collins’ recent knee surgery also kept him out of action.

And 1

Majerle frequently urged the team by shouting “Let’s go” multiple times, attempting to create the kind of pace the Suns play during the regular season. … Jermaine Taylor led the Rockets with 25 and Patrick Patterson added 18 on 8-for-9 shooting. … Matt Janning chipped in with 10 points on 4-for-14 shooting for the Summer Suns.

Up next

The Suns return to the hardwood at 1 p.m. MST Saturday on NBA TV when they take on the Toronto Raptors.

I will be on the scene in Las Vegas Friday through Tuesday to give you the low down on what’s going on with the Suns’ summer league team, starting with Friday’s 3 p.m. game against Houston that will be televised by NBA TV.

So while the rest of the nation is still digesting The Decision, here are five story lines to ponder about the Summer Suns.

1.  Will Earl Clark make the leap?

No, not a leap to superstardom (perhaps one day), but the leap from a non-factor to a contributor. We saw flashes of the improvement of Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez last summer, and now it’s Clark’s time.

Alvin Gentry expects him to be in the Suns’ rotation next season and by all accounts he’s been working hard this summer, so this is his time to show that.

I’ve been on the Earl Clark bandwagon since before he was selected. I love his offensive and defensive games and think he could really help the Suns. We barely saw that Earl Clark last season, but I hope to at least see glimpses of that guy this weekend.

2. Can the rookies play?

I’m not sure if Dwayne Collins will even be healthy enough to suit up, but I want to see what kind of contributor Gani Lawal can be.

I understand this is only summer league, but even though Lawal is one of the most talented players on this team I want to see if he’ll be doing the dirt work he’d be expected to do with the real Suns. Is he blocking shots left and right? Is he corralling all the boards? Is he diving on the floor for loose balls? Is he playing with fire?

If the answer to those questions in summer league games that don’t matter is yes, the Suns might have found a nice piece for their bench.

3. The point guard spot

Scottie Reynolds brings the All-American cache, but Zabian Dowdell is just as intriguing of a prospect at the point guard spot.

Dowdell was one of the more impressive Summer Suns last year, but the Suns just didn’t have room for him. By bringing him back they clearly like him and another impressive summer should at least net him an invitation to camp if he wants one.

Reynolds, of course, was the first first-team All-American to go undrafted since the 1976 merger. He clearly has the talent if not the size and athleticism to make an NBA roster. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a guy like that be pissed off by everybody passing him up and setting Vegas on fire.

4. Griffin’s last chance?

Taylor Griffin holds a tenuous grip on a Phoenix Suns roster spot. He’s a model teammate who works hard and understands the system, but he just doesn’t possess NBA swingman skills as hard as he’s been working at it.

Or does he?

He’s now spent a year attempting to convert from a college post player to an NBA wing player. Does he have the shooting range and handles for such a move? He certainly has NBA athleticism, but it’s hard to say he has NBA skills. This summer league is important to showcase himself for an NBA job somewhere, if not in Phoenix.

5. Watching college stars

I’m pretty excited to see the Suns go up against the Houston Rockets’ Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill, players I covered for two seasons when I wrote about Arizona men’s basketball for The Arizona Daily Wildcat. During the regular season, it’s hard to pay much attention to a pair of bench players, particularly when the Suns are in the heat of a playoff push. Today I can really zero in on how much (or little) Chase and Jordan have improved since college.

For Pac-10 fans, you might remember Stanford forward Lawrence Hill, who is playing for the Suns. I always loved Hill’s game at Stanford, where he was a teammate of Suns center Robin Lopez. He’s got some length and a decent mid-range game and should be a nice summer player even if he doesn’t have NBA skill.

I remember watching Hill play high school basketball, and he was the best player I ever saw in the gym of my alma mater Desert Mountain High School.

Earl Clark

Pos: F Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 225

2009-2010: 1.3 PPG, 0.7 RPG in 7.5 MPG (51 games)

Clark is sure to be the Suns’ star player in the summer league and could really take some big strides. Obviously, it’s no mystery what Clark brings to the table — size and athleticism. Summer league should give him a chance to sharpen specific elements of his game.

If Clark can come away with improved strength, better shot selection and the beginnings of bona fide rebounding ability, he’ll almost certainly become a regular rotation guy. The Suns are really high on Clark and believe he can be a great player. This could be his coming out party, or at least the pre-game.

Taylor Griffin

Pos: F Age: 24 Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 238

2009-2010: 1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG in 4.0 MPG (8 games)

Big brother will be playing for his team option in the summer league. Obviously Griffin knows the Suns’ system, which may put him a few steps ahead of the rest, but it also may not be enough to warrant keeping him on the roster.

He’ll have some competition for the oh-so-coveted perennial bench warmer spot, but he’ll have to earn it by showing that he has legitimate basketball abilities that can benefit the Suns beyond practice.

Scottie Reynolds

Pos: G Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 195

2009-2010: 18.2 PPG, 3.3 APG in 30.3 MPG

The first team All-American out of Villanova could be the surprise of the summer for the Suns. If Reynolds can gel with the Suns’ system (which is quite possible), he may earn himself a spot on the bench. Reynolds will need to show that he possesses unique talents to offer the Suns, as they already possess plenty of capable shooters and passers. Ultimately, Reynolds may have the best shot at making the team out of the summer league.

Shaun Pruitt

Pos: C Age: 24 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 245

2009-2010: 19.1 PPG, 13.5 RPG in 34.9 MPG

After bouncing around the globe (China, Czech Republic, Greece, Puerto Rico), the former University of Illinois center makes his second Summer League appearance. Pruitt didn’t make the Warriors roster last season, but ended up playing in the Puerto Rican Baloncesto Superior Nacional, where he led the league in rebounding. Pruitt is the only center on the summer roster, and while he doesn’t get up and down the court very quickly, his size could intrigue the Suns. Though it’s nothing Dwayne Jones can’t provide, and Pruitt seems to have maturity issues.

Ryan Toolson

Pos: G Age: 25 Height: 6-foot-4 Weight: 190

2009-2010: 16.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG in 32.9 MPG

A Valley product, you have to imagine Toolson will do anything he can to just sit on the bench for the Suns. The Utah Valley University grad who once dropped 63 points on Chicago State but up decent numbers for Pinar Karsiyaka in Turkey last season while shooting 47.5 percent. The Suns hardly lack accurate shooters though, so Toolson is a long shot.

Gavin Edwards

Pos: F Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-10 Weight: 234

2009-2010: 10.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG in 30.4 MPG

Another Valley native, the Phoenix-born former UConn bench warmer figures to just take up space on the roster and court. The Suns did work him out twice before the draft, but that was almost certainly just scouting for summer league. Edwards made huge strides between his junior and senior seasons for the Huskies, but it will take some tremendous growth to even sniff a roster spot.

Marcus Johnson

Pos: F Age: 23 Height: 6-foot-6 Weight: 210

2009-2010: 9.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG in 31.7 MPG

Johnson spent time at UConn and finished at Southern Cal, but never put up very big numbers. However, Johnson’s real talent is his defense — something the Suns certainly lack. But don’t expect a diamond in the rough, just a serviceable summer league guy with legitimate defensive ability.

The following were compiled by Mike Schmitz:

Gani Lawal

Position: PF

College: Georgia Tech

Height: 6-foot-9

Weight: 233 pounds

2009-2010: 13.1 points, 8.5 rebounds in 25.8 minutes

Lawal turned in a solid three-year career at Georgia Tech and enters his rookie season with a ton of opportunity ahead of him. Depending on what the Suns do the rest of the offseason, Lawal could end up being Phoenix’s second big man off the bench. He will definitely make the team, but his role will partially be determined by how he plays this summer. He should start on this summer team and will have a tremendous opportunity to show off his game while learning the system along the way. With such a raw offensive game Lawal has a ton of learning to do, and what better time than summer league to get a head start?

Dwayne Collins

Position: PF

College: Miami

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 241 pounds

2009-2010: 12 points, 7.8 rebounds in 24.7 minutes

Collins should make the Suns’ roster before it’s all said and done, but he most likely has to have a solid showing in Vegas to do so (if he is even healthy enough to play after June 18 knee surgery). His 7-foot-4 wingspan alone should earn a roster spot, but this summer will prove if he has the skills to go along with that. I expect Collins to turn some heads with his high motor and athleticism this summer, and he may even eclipse Lawal on the depth chart. Collins is basically battling with his fellow second-rounder for playing time. It should be fun to see which raw and athletic big man has the edge going into training camp.

Zabian Dowdell

Position: PG

College: Virginia Tech

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 190 pounds

2009-2010: 12.9 points, 3.7 assists in 26.3 minutes (10 games for the Tulsa 66ers)

Dowdell made a great impression on the Suns when he played with them in last summer’s Vegas league. He was expected to play in training camp but earned a contract to play overseas, which he chose instead. He played with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League for 10 games last season before heading overseas to play for Unicaja Malaga. Dowdell is a bit of a combo guard with great scoring ability and good length. Of the non-roster Suns he probably has the best shot of making the team as a third point guard, although Scottie Reynolds is a close second. He’s yet to earn a shot in the NBA at age 25 and has to be thirsting for a shot with the Suns. With an impressive summer league, Dowdell could very well be on the Phoenix Suns’ roster heading into next season.

Matt Janning

Position: SG

College: Northeastern

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 198 pounds

2009-2010: 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists in 36.1 minutes

Janning turned in an impressive career at Northeastern, averaging over 35 minutes per game in all four years and posting over 11 points per contest every season as well. He has sneaky athleticism and play making ability to go along with a solid stroke and good basketball IQ. But Janning is a long shot to make the club with so many shooters already under contract. However with a solid showing he could garner interest from a few other NBA teams.

Antron Ponkrashov

Position: SG

College: Russia

Height: 6-foot-7

Weight: 205 pounds

2009-2010: 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds in 8.2 minutes (Euroleague, 20 games)

The 24-year old has been playing professional basketball in Russia since 2001 and was a member of the 2007 Russian FIBA championship team. He is a member of the Russian National Team and most recently played for CSKA Moscow He’s a lot like most European players — rail thin, sneaky athleticism, skilled but extremely soft. He can supposedly play everything from point guard to small forward, but Ponkrashov undoubtedly won’t make the roster.

Lawrence Hill

Position: SF

College: Stanford

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 220 pounds

2009-2010: 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes (Halcones Rojos de Veracruz, Mexico League)

Hill was a stud at Deer Valley High School and turned in a solid four-year career at Stanford. He wasn’t NBA material out of college, however, and played 57 games for Halcones Rojos de Veracruz in the Mexico League. He has NBA size for a small forward to go along with solid athleticism. He is somewhat of a tweener without much shooting range, but Hill could surprise some people this summer. He is a long shot to make the club, but he’s proven he can play at a high level and could be a deep sleeper of sorts.

Brandon Johnson

Position: PG

College: University of San Diego

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 200 pounds

2009-2010: 14 points, 3.4 assists in 32 minutes per game

Johnson burst onto the national scene his junior season when he averaged 16.9 points per game in the West Coast Conference. He helped lead USD to a first-round upset over UConn in 2008, scoring 18 points. He ruptured his Achilles 10 games into his senior season, but was granted a fifth season because of the injury. He’s a scoring point guard and an intriguing prospect to keep your eye on. Johnson is a heck of a competitor and should also be in the conversation with Scottie Reynolds and Zabian Dowdell for a spot as the Suns’ third point guard.

The players will take to Sin City for a five-game set amongst a slate of 58 games featuring 22 teams. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas is hosting the event. Here’s the Suns’ schedule:

• Friday, July 9 vs. Houston; 3 p.m. at COX Pavillion
• Saturday, July 10 vs. Toronto; 1 p.m. at COX Pavillion
• Monday, July 12 vs. NBA D-League squad; 5:30 p.m. at Thomas &  Mack Center
• Wednesday, July 14 vs. Cleveland; 5:30 p.m. at Thomas & Mack Center
• Thursday, July 15 vs. Golden State; 3 p.m. at COX Pavillion

General admission entry to a day session is $25 per ticket. Click here for a full schedule of the Summer League.

Should be an interesting bunch, considering some of the top draft picks (teams with 10 of the top 14 are expected to participate) will be competing. That could mean the league’s first looks at the likes of John Wall and Evan Turner. And hopefully a much-improved Clark showing signs that he is ready to make a significant contribution this season.

Here’s to hoping the rookies don’t get lost in the bright lights of Vegas and gamble away their first paychecks…

“We’re holding out hope,” Gentry said. “We’re trying to just prepare as if he’s not going to be here. And if he comes back then it’s a bonus.”

Asked further if that meant Robin would miss the playoffs, Gentry said he could not speculate because he simply did not know.

“We’re preparing as if we’re going to play with the team we have now,” Gentry said.

Tonight’s game with the Spurs will likely be an indicator of what the Suns can do against teams with a good big man. With Lopez out, Gentry said the Suns might have to put more double teams on Tim Duncan.

Lopez’s absence from the remainder of the regular season doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but his missing the playoffs would be a great detriment to the Suns’ hopes of a deep playoff run.

Gentry said Lopez will be reevaluated in the next five to seven days.

Trying to stop Manu

Gentry lauded the recent play of Spurs guard Manu Ginobli, saying that he and Amare are probably two of the hottest players in the NBA right now. Gentry said he thinks Ginobli saw a need to step up when Tony Parker missed time with a broken hand.

“I think Ginobli felt like he needed to pick up his offense and be a little more aggressive,” Gentry said. “He’s been unbelievable.”

Gentry said Jason Richardson would get defensive duties on Ginobli in tonight’s game.

“We’ll try to do the best we can and try to see if we can contain him,” Gentry said.

Parker working his way back

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game that Tony Parker would start the game on the bench and D-League call up Garrett Temple would again start at point guard.

Temple played 27 minutes last night against Sacramento, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Parker played 17 minutes off the bench, totaling eight points, three rebounds and two assists.

Griffin back to Iowa

The Suns again sent rookie Taylor Griffin to the NBA Developmental League to get time with the Iowa Energy in the D-League playoffs.

The stint will be Griffin’s third in Iowa this season. In 12 prior games he averaged 9.6 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

Alando Tucker

I’m often asked on Daily Dime Live chats about what trade the Suns need to make to vault them to contender status.

This one isn’t it, but the Suns did save a few more dollars by jettisoning seldom-used guard Alando Tucker to Minnesota with a conditional second-rounder and cash for Jason Hart, whose non-guaranteed contract was immediately waived.

According to The Arizona Republic, Minnesota will get the Suns’ second-rounder if it’s not in the top 40 or Cleveland’s second-rounder from the Shaq deal if it is. Along with the Cleveland pick, the Suns also are owed Charlotte’s second-rounder from the J-Rich deal, so they are flush with second-rounders although Oklahoma City owns their first-rounder.

Phoenix will also pay Tucker’s $1.07 million contract and send the Wolves $100K, but they will save about a million.

“We want to thank Alando for his service to our organization,” Suns GM Steve Kerr said in a release. “He is a high-character person who has been a good teammate and a hard worker since arriving in Phoenix and we appreciate all of his efforts. We wish him well in Minnesota.”

This also ends the discussion on whether the Suns should keep Jarron Collins. The Suns traditionally only keep the the 13-player roster minimum, which is what they are down to after the trade. Collins was picked up as No. 14 when Robin Lopez was injured during the first month of the season and he has stayed on despite diminishing minutes upon Lopez’s return.

Collins essentially won a game in Houston with his size down the stretch and is an invaluable mentor to Lopez. He’s also the type of big who could go months without playing and then come up huge in a critical spot down the stretch.

At first glance, the Suns gave up a guy they’re not playing, a crappy second-rounder and a bit of cash to save a bit more cash. That in itself means this trade was inconsequential. Tucker’s option for next year has already been declined, so he’s been a lame duck whose biggest contributions have come through starring in Steve Nash’s video productions.

The deal is most meaningful in that it guarantees the Suns will keep Collins for the season, and unlike Tucker — a player stuck behind a glut of guards — Collins could come up useful when the interior-deficient Suns need it most.

Griffin back to Iowa

The Suns also announced that forward Taylor Griffin has been sent to Iowa for a 12-game stint.

Griffin averaged 13.5 points, 8.0 boards and 4.0 assists in a previous two-game run with the Energy.

This can only help Griffin’s development being that he only gets burn in Phoenix in the most lopsided of blowouts. A mix of NBA practice instruction and now D-League playing time should help Griffin improve greatly as a rookie.